TAPE ART FROM BERLIN KREUZBERG

We are Tape That – an artist collective based in Berlin. We create our artworks solely out of adhesives tapes. Our works range from plain minimalistic black and white murals to complex and colorful light- and video installations. These can be found in exhibitions, galleries, abandoned buildings, clubs, showrooms, pop-up stores, offices, events or on fair stands and facades. Each of our artworks is unique as we are inspired by and incorporate the spatial circumstances. We are fascinated by the idea to create art out of an everyday object that most people take for granted. Although based in Berlin, we regularly travel the world to raise awareness of tape art and establish it as an acknowledged form of art.

WHAT IS TAPE ART?

As the term suggests, Tape Art can be considered an art that is made out of any kind of adhesive tape. While this up and coming art form has grown rapidly over the last 10 years, its beginning cannot unequivocally be pinpointed down in time: Even though adhesives tapes have long been used in the arts for various purposes, they were usually not the predominant means of expression, but rather a technical aid. The emancipation to an autonomous and self-sufficient medium to create art with, is most likely to be found in and also intertwined with the beginning of the urban art movement. Its removable and temporary nature makes it a popular medium to use on any surface it sticks to. This unique feature makes it possible to easily integrate the local surroundings, especially in a temporary fashion. In the same way as there are lots of various types of adhesives materials, the approaches to create tape art with them are very diverse as well. The most commonly used materials are cloth or duct tapes, paper tapes, packaging tapes or plastic tapes and foils. Depending on the specific features of the individual materials, certain styles developed over time that cover a large spectrum from abstract to realistic art.

Our artistic endeavors range from our free artworks and installations to commissioned projects and intercultural art exchanges as well as workshops. We produce a wide spectrum of free artworks that includes regular taped paintings, room installations and sculptures, murals or facades and light installations. Besides live tape art performances at events and fairs, our commissioned projects also consist of location styling and interior design for event locations, fair stands and offices. In addition, we offer tape art workshops and teambuilding activities for different companies. To spread tape art around the world, we showcase our artworks internationally and hold workshops for the public, often times in cooperation with the German foreign ministry or Goethe-Institutes

Due to its creative environment and large urban art scene, Berlin has evolved to the epicenter of tape art and we are proud to play an important and active role in this movement: We organize and curate the Tape Art Convention, which was first held in 2016 as a group exhibition of 9 artists and collectives. It was the first big tape art exhibition that included different approaches to tape as a creative medium from all over the world, featuring artists from e.g. London, Melbourne and Philadelphia. Since then it has grown to a platform and network for lots of tape artists and we aim to support the creative exchange and strengthen the tape art scene. Also, the concept of the Tape Art Convention exceeds a standard group exhibitions since it focuses on showcasing tape art in its various approaches and visitors are encouraged to get in direct contact with the artists in creative clashes, workshops and live tapings.

We consider ourselves to be tape art ambassadors: Adhesive tapes are to be found almost in every household all over the world – that is all you need to get creative and start doing tape art! No expensive paints or canvases are necessary and you can start instantly. We are fascinated by this open source approach to create art and started the “Tape Art around the World” project: By traveling to lots of culturally different places in the world on every continent, we take the opportunity to plant a creative seed and spread tape art everywhere. So far, we have been able to do so in Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Egypt, England, Estonia, India, Jerusalem, Montenegro, Namibia, Palestine, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Vietnam, the United States and Qatar.

To spread our Tape Art and to educate whoever might be interested in this subject, we founded the Tape Art Academy in 2017. The Tape Art Academy regularly hosts hands-on Tape Art workshops featuring many well-known Tape Artists. To date we held several workshops in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne, but more cities are coming soon (stay tuned Munich). If you are interested in joining a workshop, hit us up on the contact form of the Tape Art Academy website.